Priya Singhal, 2011

Prescription for Success

St. Bonaventure prepares students for the rigors of medical school.

Priya Singhal hasn’t decided which field of medicine to pursue once she completes her M.D. at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. For now, the third year medical student is soaking up the experiences of clinical rotations from OB/GYN to pediatrics and psychiatry in the nation’s capital.

“I’m not quite sure what I want to go into as of this point, but so far what I’ve seen I’ve loved. At this point it’s gathering all the experiences that you can, getting your feet wet in all aspects of medicine, and kind of figuring out where you see yourself in the future,” she said.

Singhal felt that she was well prepared for the rigors of medical school. “In terms of academia, Bonaventure really provided a solid foundation for coming into medical school, especially during the first year, which was so important because medical school builds on itself, so having that solid foundation to begin with was just wonderful,” she said.

As an undergrad, she participated in the clinical experience at Olean General Hospital.

“The Olean General Hospital program was good because it gave you … a glance into what it’s like to be in the hospitals, to follow with round attendings, to interact with different patients. When you get to medical school it’s kind of that times a thousand, but it’s definitely a good glimpse into what it’s like later on,” said Singhal.

St. Bonaventure’s pre-med program didn’t deter her from “doing anything else I wanted to do” as a college student. “Even being a science major I was able to pick up a minor and travel abroad and do a lot of extracurricular activities.”